Away Into The Forest
by Wonderbat Erin
Summary: Leafpool flees after Hollyleaf reveals her secret, heartbroken at Crowfeather's denial of their love.
1. Everything is Complicated in Life

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**This is my first fanfic, so bear with me.**

"Leafpool is our mother, and Crowfeather—Crowfeather of WindClan—is our father!" Hollyleaf screeched at the cats assembled at the Gathering.

Crowfeather heard an angry hiss behind him. No doubt it came from Nightcloud. "What? This is impossible!" He retorted. "Hollyleaf is lying!"

"No," Leafpool said quietly. She raised her head to stare defiantly at her father, and Crowfeather was struck by how beautiful she looked just then, her tabby pelt shining in the light of the full moon. "It's true."

Crowfeather narrowed his eyes. "You never told me?"

She looked straight at him. "Would you have cared?"

"I know that I cannot be ThunderClan's medicine cat any longer," Leafpool meowed."I'm so very sorry to you, Firestar, and to all my Clan mates. Please know that I tried my best to do right by all of you, and I regret what I've had done with every single breath." She paused, and took a deep breath."But I don't regret having my kits. They're fine cats, and I will always be proud of them."

She turned, and padded across the tree-bridge. Nightcloud shot Crowfeather an angry glare, and stalked away, tail high. Breezepelt prowled away in humiliation and gave his father a scathing look.

Crowfeather shot a glance at Leafpool. She had paused, and was staring at him, despair in her gaze. He cast a shifty look around the clearing, and slunk away under the cover of the shadows.

When he was satisfied that no one had seen him, he dashed over to the tree-bridge. Leafpool was nowhere to be found.

Crowfeather gave a sigh of exasperation. He heard Leafpool shifting around in the area. He could smell her familiar scent, mixed with the sweet smells of the herbs she used. Flicking his head from side to side, he tried to figure out where her scent was coming from.

He turned to face a thorny bush. Taking a few cautious steps towards it, his suspicions were confirmed when a lithe figure crashed out of it and hurtled into the darkness. He chased after it, through the gloom, faintly aware of his Clanmates calling his name.

Leafpool risked a glance backwards. Crowfeather was catching up to her. She knew she could never beat a WindClan cat in a race, but she still had to try.

She dashed closer to the lake, so determined to avoid her former mate that she didn't notice where she was going. She gave a yowl of surprise as she skidded on the slippery surface of the lakeside. Her feet flew out from under her and she slid into the lake, clawing at the shifting sand that could no longer hold her weight.

"Leafpool!" she heard Crowfeather yowl. But his voice was fading away.

StarClan, will I join you tonight? she thought in panic. Her head sank beneath the surface and she felt her energy leave her...

Crowfeather panicked as he saw Leafpool slide into the lake, legs thrashing frantically as she tried to stay afloat.

"Leafpool!" he yowled as he saw her head sink beneath the surface. He dashed forward, hardly registering the cold water that lapped at his feet, and grabbed the scruff of her neck. He dragged her out of the lake and dumped her on the shore. Her breathing was rough, and her limbs were weak.

Crowfeather turned at a sound, and found Breezepelt standing triumphantly over them. Both of them unsheathed their claws and stared at each other.

Breezepelt suddenly leapt forwards and buried his teeth in Leafpool's neck.

Crowfeather leapt in fury at Breezepelt. Leafpool batted at her attacker, but her blows were weak from struggling in the lake. Breezepelt kept one paw on Leafpool's neck and used the other to scratch at Crowfeather.

"One wrong move," he taunted his father,"and you'll lose your precious medicine cat!"

"Why're you doing this?" Crowfeather spat.

"You've been lying to me all my life! I thought my mother was the one you loved. You've been using her!" Breezepelt hissed.

"You're not even my son!" Crowfeather began, then froze. The truth had inadvertently slipped out of him.

Breezepelt froze."What do you mean? Nightcloud was your mate, and you are my father!" he finally spat.

Crowfeather growled and replied,"When you were born, Nightcloud asked me to visit her in the nursery. She offered me a proposal... She offered to take me as her mate. I would father you, while I would regain my Clanmates' trust in return."

Breezepelt's expression was one of anger, not shock, as Crowfeather had expected. "Who - Who was my father?"

Crowfeather blinked."Mudclaw was your father... He died when StarClan sent the lightning... to topple the tree and allow Onewhisker to be Clan leader unopposed."

Breezepelt was motionless for a moment, then he snarled,"Good! Then I can kill you for the pain and humiliation you inflicted on me without feeling guilt!"

He bunched his muscles and prepared to leap at Crowfeather, and sink his sharp claws into the one he thought was his father. However, he had forgotten Leafpool, who had stayed rooted to the ground all through the confession Crowfeather had made.

Leafpool snarled back at Breezepelt. She leapt at him and dug her claws deep into his pelt. Crowfeather scored his claws across Breezepelt's flank and he howled with pain.

Hurling Leafpool off his back, Breezepelt hissed at the both of them,"This... This is not over!" He spun around and headed towards the WindClan camp.

Now safe, Leafpool turned to Crowfeather, the anguish in her eyes gushing out from her originally calm exterior."What you did..."she faltered.

"Did you plan all that with Hollyleaf before the Gathering?"Crowfeather asked furiously.

"No!"She sounded so shocked that he almost regretted asking the question, but his anger returned quickly.

"Everything's ruined! I worked so hard to gain my Clanmates' trust, and now they think I betrayed Nightcloud,"he snarled.

Leafpool narrowed her eyes. "Everything's about you, isn't it? Do you have any idea how painful it was for me, watching my kits grow up, believing I was nothing more to them than their mother's sister? You had the easy side of it!"

Crowfeather was shocked by Leafpool's sudden vehemence."I..." he stammered, not knowing what to say or do.

She spun around and padded away wearily. Crowfeather stood there stunned for a moment, then ran up to her and mumbled,"I'm sorry."

Leafpool turned back to him and sighed."It's not really your fault. I suppose I'm just a bit sad that I can't be a medicine cat anymore."

Crowfeather bowed his head, thinking uncomfortably of what he wanted to say. Finally, he stammered, feeling a bit uncomfortable at discussing those particular cats,"Are they really... I mean, are Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze my..."

Leafpool nodded."They're fine kits."For the first time, pride shone through her amber eyes.

"Fine they are,"Crowfeather agreed. He thought for a while, choosing his words carefully. He had to know...

"Jayfeather... He was named after me, wasn't he? I've noticed that he is uncomfortable around others... And Breezepelt complained that he was so prickly, he almost matched me... His pelt, and Hollyleaf's are black too. I think I might have suspected it for quite a while unconsciously,"he said cautiously.

Leafpool smiled and said,"They both take after you. But I think Lionblaze is more like his grandfather."

"Firestar,"Crowfeather murmured.

Leafpool's smile faded, and once again she looked weary."I must go. It was... enjoyable talking with you... I wish the others could see you as you really are... Kind, witty, friendly..."

She leapt off into the gloom of the forest. This time, Crowfeather did not attempt to follow her, watching her till she vanished. Then he himself plodded back to the WindClan camp, bracing himself for the disgust on his Clanmates' faces.

Jayfeather hid behind a bush concealing him. Although he had initially hated both of them for not telling him, the love he sensed emanating from the both of them tore a hole in him. Apart from pitying the couple, the gaping crevice in his heart longed for a love as strong as his parents'.

_Will I ever find the one for me?_ He wondered sadly. Then he shook his head. He was a medicine cat like his mother, and he would not break the warrior code like she had.

**Please, read and review!**  
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	2. Love Forever

**Disclaimer: As usual, nothing. Is. Mine. Clear?**

**Epilogue**

Leafpool looked around surreptitiously as she crept towards the Moonpool stream. It was leaf-bare, and prey was low. She had seen a strangely fat pheasant lingering around the banks and was checking it out.

The flash of brightly coloured feathers caught her eye. She pounced without thinking, springing out of the bushes concealing her, and came face-to-face with...

Crowfeather.

His eyes widened and he released the pheasant, now limp, from his jaws. She looked down and realised she had almost crossed the border. Taking a step back, she turned away from the stream, and started to walk back to the camp, empty-pawed as usual. She was not a good hunter, having been raised without any need for the ability.

"Wait!" Leafpool spun around, surprised. It was Crowfeather who had called out. He nudged the pheasant towards her timidly, then muttered,"You saw it first..."

She glanced around suspiciously. Ascertaining that no one was present other than the two of them, her eyes softened a fraction and she murmured,"It's good to see you again..."

He scuffed his paws against the ground and said uncertainly,"How are things?"

She sighed, remembering the subtle insults directed at her. Berrynose and a few of the other younger warriors shunned her completely, and she only had sympathy from Squirrelflight and Sorreltail."It's fine. How about you?" She stiffened slightly as Crowfeather winced."...Better, I guess,"he replied cautiously.

Abandoning all pretence to the surge of nostalgia brewing up inside her, Leafpool sprang across the border and buried herself in Crowfeather's soft fur. Surprisingly, he relaxed and started licking her.

"Oh, how I've missed you... I love you,"she moaned. He muttered something and licked her nose."What?"

"I said, I missed you as well,"he said.

They caressed each other for a while. Amazingly, no one came to apprehend them.

After a long, long moment of love, Crowfeather looked up reluctantly at the sky and prised himself from Leafpool's embrace."I've got to go... Everyone's bound to notice I was missing."

There was an unspoken understanding that it would be the last time they could express their deep love to each other.

Leafpool dipped her head and turned to leave. As she stepped across the Moonpool stream, Crowfeather called out, a fire burning in his eyes-

"I love you too, Leafpool. Forever and ever."

**Sorry it's so short. I had no inspiration.**

**AT LAST! It's complete. I spent a TON of time typing the two chapters. I'll try to update my other stories too, but I'll be busy.**

**Review please!**


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